


Your Possible Pasts

by Sweaters (Guhs)



Series: Pale Danvivor [6]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: @HowardRisdale baby animals to come don't worry, AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Broken a/c, Danse is a military captain and still Danse, Except Danse and Nick still have problems with each other because we gotta keep it canon a lil bit, F/M, Happy, Implied/Referenced Sex, It's not that deep don't worry I just like loading up my stories with tags, Kind of a sad undertone though, Light-Hearted, M/M, Nate is a professor at C.I.T., Nick is human and still a cop, Nick's fiancee is still alive and in witness protection in this AU, Nora is a lawyer, Post-Divorce, Pre-War, Shaun is still 10, Wine shows up like once, Wow Ao3 really ruined my tag lineup with that error, everyone is friends kind of, prewar
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-03-08
Packaged: 2019-11-13 19:01:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18037040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Guhs/pseuds/Sweaters
Summary: A day in the life of the two Soles and a couple of companions in a timeline where the world never ended.





	Your Possible Pasts

There were few things more unbearable than a Boston summer.

Well, strictly speaking, Cambridge wasn’t really  _ Boston _ , but it may as well be. If you lived in one you probably worked in the other and vice versa. Not that the distinction made much of a difference at the moment, in barely sub-hundred-degree temperatures in an old house with a  _ very broken  _ air conditioning unit.

“This is what happens when you buy a house built in the twentieth century, Nathan,” Danse was always happy to propagate, preaching the perils of making shortsighted decisions even as he stood in a cramped, sweltering attic to try and fix the issue himself.  
“Stuff it, tin man. It’s close to the university and it has room for all of us. And it’s cheap!”  
“And I wonder why that is?”  _ Tunk- tink-tink  _ as an empty coolant bottle sailed through the rafters well past Danse’s head and came back down. There was a reason Nate was a switch hitter and not a pitcher back in his day.  
“No lip from you, sir. I won’t hesitate to call a licensed handyman.”  
“What, and miss out on the opportunity to freely ogle a man in uniform?”  
“I don’t think your dog tags make your jeans and t-shirt count as a uniform, Danse.”

_ Bbbbbbring, ing ing. Bbbbbbring, ing ing.  _ The phone sounded like it was practically underwater with just how thick the air felt without any proper ventilation. Nate sighed; probably the university calling to let him know about a deadline or warning him about a new transfer, or any number of things they liked inconveniencing him with on his day off.  
Nonetheless, he reluctantly climbed down from the attic with a “Don’t electrocute yourself, please” and made his way to the rotary.

“Nathan Thomas speaking. Oh, Nora! Alright? Yeah, great. I’d  _ hope  _ tonight still works, I’m not prepping the food in this heat for no reason.” _ Laugh _ . “Alright, don’t rub it in. Yeah, I’m still picking him up. Mm-hm. Nick still coming? Great, I’ll make sure to bring the donuts.” Laughter on both ends of the phone, one just a little bit more punctuated by very sensible scolding. “Yeah, yeah, I’ll be good. Oh, you actually want dessert? Tiramisu from… where? … Uh-huh. We’ll see what happens. See you at 4, hon.”  


”Was that Nora?” from all the way up above the ceiling.  
“Nothing gets past you, eh, Captain?”

Hearty thumps and dismally creaking wood as the well-built frame of Captain Danse dared to descend the attic stairs and traverse the weak construct of the hallway and living room.  _ Very  _ well-built, Nate noted.  _ Not the time to stare.  _ Reluctantly turning to the notepad by the phone, Nate definitely focused all of his attention on keeping track of whatever Nora had just asked him to do, and was not at all looking at the very enticing sheen of sweat clinging to the other man’s visible muscles. His… many visible muscles.

“What can I say? I’m a perceptive bastard.” Nate could hear the smirk in Danse’s voice, feel it against his ear as the man sidled up behind him, locking him in his arms as he stared over his shoulder.  
“You’re definitely one of those things, Captain.”  
_ Tsk _ . “What’d I tell you about calling me that?”  
“Which part? The part where it was inappropriate outside of military functions or the part where it made you really horny?”  
“I think both apply here.” As the two were pressed together front to back, it was not difficult for Nate to ascertain that this was quite true. That would not distract him from the task at hand. Not this time. Definitely not, especially not with those lips brushing his ear.  
“What’s the news from Nora?”  
“Just verifying plans. She wants us to pick up a tiramisu on the way over from some new dessert place.”  
“Mmhm. We don’t leave until 3:30, right?”  
“3 now, if we want time to get the tiramisu.” Nate could feel Danse glance at the clock up over the TV. 2:15. Another grin pressed against his ear, and this time he could feel the teeth.  
“We’ve got plenty of time, then.”  
“You’re killing me. It’s so  _ hot _ , Danse.”  
“Not the last time you’ll be saying that today.”  _ Oh, for fuck’s sake. _

Nate laughed, something of genuine mirth and wonderment that managed to accurately portray that he had no idea how he managed to get saddled with such a ridiculous man.

“Alright, tin man, you win. But we’re taking a cold shower  _ immediately  _ afterward.”

 

* * *

Piles, everywhere. Papers, folders, binders, stapler refills, empty pens. The more she tried to get through them, the bigger they seemed to get, like one really sharp and fucked up hydra. Nora wondered, and not for the first time, just what the fuck she was thinking when she decided to go for that law degree all those years ago.

“ _ It’ll be great for you, _ ” her mother said.  
“ _ You’ll make a lot of money, Nora. You won’t need to marry because you’ll have great financial security, _ ” claimed her father, boldly and constantly. All through law school. Every year of it. Even during the workforce collapse in her senior year, the decline of private attornies, and for the whole eight years leading up to the steady rebuilding of the law firms which had been reduced to ashes.

It was good money  _ now _ , she couldn’t deny that, even as a criminal justice lawyer. Corporate law was the cushiest gig these days, but it never did feel right, even just as an intern. She never felt like she was making any sort of a change by protecting CEOs and millionaires from lawsuits or the consequences of their own illegal or highly shady practices. Criminal justice was far from the most lucrative in comparison. Possibly even the least depending on the case, but it felt the most  _ right _ , even with the oversaturated market and the fluctuating statistics of major cases.

Nevertheless, crime never slept, and neither did Nora.

“You still poring over all of those case files? You’re gonna run yourself ragged, you know.” Nick Valentine: commendable cop, a great man, and newly outfitted with a house key that he loved to use all the time and usually without warning. Nora was still working on not being startled whenever he’d show up.  
“I can’t help it, Nick. There’s so much going on and if I don’t jump on a case _now,_ my workload is going to be backed up all the way into the next century.”  
“That’s not so bad. The new century’s only thirteen years away, I can’t see a problem.” God, what a face on that man. So cocky, yet so genuine. Dangerously perfect, and never failed to make her smile. Is this what everyone meant when they told her to never fall for a cop?

“Come on, I’ll help you finish getting set up. Nate and Shaun are going to be here soon, right?”  
“Oh, is it already time? I thought I still had ages.”  
“Less than twenty minutes. Can’t say I can consider that ‘ages’ in good conscience.” Another laugh out of Nora, who smacked her boyfriend on the arm when she finally pried herself away from the desk.  
“Naughty man.” A quick peck, and a quicker journey into the dining room. “Oh, by the way, Nate’s fiance is coming as well. They weren’t sure if he’d be free, so I only found out last night. Is that alright?”  
“The big military fella?” _Nod_. “Not a problem from me. Him, on the other hand…”  
“Come on, Nicky. I don’t think he meant any of what he said in a particularly bad way. He’s just… a little… socially awkward, I guess.”  
“He dubbed modern law enforcement convoluted and ineffective and basically called for the formation of a more useful organization with a better recruitment process to weed out the _weak ones_ who can’t solve every problem that comes their way. I guess if you plug your ears and think about something else it might seem almost positive, eh?”  


_Tsk_. Nora shot a look across the table at her partner as they both worked to set the placemats and various dishes. “I’m not saying it wasn’t in poor taste, just that he didn’t seem to mean any harm by it. He’s a very traditional military man, Nicky. You know the type. He’s always going to have his own opinions. And anyway, I think you might owe him an apology, too.”  
“Oh? What for?”  
“... If I had to guess, probably for calling him a dense bullet sponge who can’t tell his ass from a hole in the ground.” The sheepish, mildly scolded look that spawned was not lost on Nora.  
“Suppose you’re right. Why d’ya always have to go and make sense all the time?”  
“I’m a lawyer. If I didn’t, I’d be homeless.”

  
  
  


The trio showed up ten minutes past 4, which was… odd. ‘On time is late’ as Nate always said, and anything past that was  _ very late _ . Shaun was wielding the tiramisu while Danse had apparently taken up the mantle of carrying the main course more or less by himself, with the exception of one covered dish in Nate’s possession. Nora was immediately suspicious as the three came into the house and splintered to their individual places in the kitchen with a ‘hey mom, hi Nick’ or a ‘Hello, Nora. Nick.’ or a peck on the cheek and a mumbled, all-encompassing ‘hello’.

“Did you three get lost in traffic or something?” Both Danse and Nate began mumbling - neither Nick nor Nora missed the little look they gave each other as they began uncovering the dishes.  
“No, uh. The air conditioner is out at the house, and we just lost track of time trying to get it fixed. So we could actually sleep in a cool room tonight, y’know?” _Good try, boys_.  
“Aw man, you guys still didn’t get that fixed? Danse, I thought you were working on it!” Shaun’s mild ire was definitely something he got from his mother.  
“I was, chief. All day long. The thing about twentieth-century houses is that-” _Nudge,_ grunt. “I’m-- there’s nothing wrong with old houses. They’re just stubborn, like your dad.”  
“Say, Shaun,” Nick piped up from the living room. “You wanna come and see some pictures of the mobster we just took down?”  
“Whoa, a real-life mobster? That’s so cool!”  
“Nick, you keep the pictures _on_ you?” Nora really shouldn’t have been surprised anymore.  
“Of course. Every half-decent cop keeps track of the good they do.” The air became thick, and both Nate and Nora realized it was because of the pointed glares their respective partners were holding for one another. _Enough of that_.  


“How’s about we eat, hm? Who’s up for barbecue chicken?”

  
  


As soft swing gently crooned from the stereo in the living room, the five had a… surprisingly calm meal. The second ever that featured both Nick and Danse, and yet unlike last time, they managed to keep their heads. By not talking to each other or even acknowledging one another. But that was sort of a win, right?  
Talks of teaching at C.I.T. and military instruction and new cases were common, with the occasional piping up from the only person at the table who only wanted to talk about how many people everyone had shot and if being a cop was anything like being the Silver Shroud. Once or twice came just a calm silence as everyone got lost in the sound of the music and utensils hitting dishes.

Having elected to wash up afterward, Nate and Nora left Danse, Nick, and Shaun mingling in the living room. Rather uncomfortably mingling, in Danse’s case.

“Things still going alright with Nick?”  
“Slow and steady. I think it’s been good for us, and… Shaun seems to be adapting well. He thinks Nick is just the coolest.”  
“Oh, I noticed.” The two shared a smile, punctuated by a light pat to Nate’s shoulder.  
“Don’t worry, you’ll always be his number one. Nick’s just a little… newer right now.”  
“I’m not too worried. Nick seems decent, I don’t think he’d try to undermine me or you like that. Or… Danse. Maybe.”  
“Speaking of Danse.” Nate could tell by the way she started scrubbing her plate a little more vigorously that she was angling at something. It made Nate nervous now even more than it did when they were married.  
“Uh-huh? What about Danse?”  
“You two seem to be doing really well.”  
“... Yes.”  
“You seem to be _doing_ really _well_.”  
A brief silence, followed by sputtered laughter and the reddest face Nate had felt in a while. “Nora-”  
“Don’t worry, champ, I’m not calling you out. Not like the pair of you are ever very subtle. Don’t forget that we were married for several years, I know all of your tells.”  
“Oh, you do? _All_ of them, huh?”

It seemed like no matter how long they had been apart, the pair could always lull themselves back into the comfortable rhythm of their previous relationship. It always felt like there were never any real problems in the world as long as they were together, and that was ultimately one of the reasons they decided to split. It was very amicable, no fighting over custody or stealing money or possessions. It was an even split with Shaun’s best interests in mind, and if not for their differing outlooks on life, they likely would have still been together now, six years later.

Where some might feel like they made a mistake, they often agreed that they both made the best decision of their lives, even with one fiance and one new boyfriend.

Wandering back into the living room a while later, they both noticed two things: one, Nick and Shaun in the corner geeking out over crime scene photos and mugshots, and two, Danse standing by the stereo console with a hefty glass of wine looking quite out of place, as he tended to do among the very calm and relaxed breed of Boston civilians. The atmosphere was good, but it could be better.  
While Nora flocked to Nick, Nate flocked to the stereo just beside Danse. With a quick peck on the cheek, he very discreetly turned the dial until light, jaunty country-western began bleeding through the speakers. It took a moment for anyone to notice, but when they did, there was a unique sort of outcry.

“Ew, dad, why’d you put this on?”  
“You’ve got good taste.”  
“Not exactly my cup of tea, but it’s not the worst.”  
“God, Nate, remember those honky-tonk bars we went to all the time in college?”  
“Does anyone know how to square dance?” And then all bets were off. Whatever tension was left in the air quickly dissipated as the music was cranked as much as was deemed decent, and the group of all disparate heights joined together in the most chaotic country dance one could imagine being held in the middle of a small metropolitan living room. The minute somebody (Nate) tripped and sent everyone stumbling, the group collapsed onto their respective articles of furniture, all full of dopamine and laughs. Old spouses reminisced, spouses-to-be talked, kids interrupted, and tense relationships were… maybe a little less tense.

And when it was time to leave, nobody wanted to go. Music switched off, leftovers in hand, crickets and late-night drivers in the background, everyone exchanged hugs and quick side-kisses and promises to keep in touch and do this again very soon. A tired trio filed back into the car for home and some much-needed sleep, and a hopeful new duo stayed behind, shared some conversation and some wine, and explored where the night might take them.

Few things were more unbearable than a Boston summer, but very little was more precious than the experiences had therein. 

What could have been, what still should be.

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again!  
> So, this is far from my best work, I'll put that out there right now. The idea was in my head for a while and I just wanted to get it out, and it's... y'know, it's not the best, you guys can see that, lmao. But I liked it, and maybe someday I'll expand on it a little bit better.
> 
> Work started up again, so that's why I've been gone and why my writing is such utter fuck. But don't worry, I'll put that fire out... eventually!  
> Anyway. So that's this and yeah, hope it didn't suck too bad. I'm thirsty and I'm tired so g'night folks.


End file.
